MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 30, 2026
Last updated: Apr 29, 2026, 10:26PM | Published: Apr 29, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on April 30, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features the following match-ups:
- Athletics vs Kansas City Royals
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Atlanta Braves vs Detroit Tigers
- New York Mets vs Washington Nationals
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
With the best MLB fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more MLB fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET, P) | $23,460 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Brandon Sproat (MIL, P) | $10,560 | 13.4 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ, 1B) | $10,250 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Olson (ATL, 1B) | $6,530 | 8.3 | 1.3 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide the most "bang for your buck," meaning they're expected to perform well relative to their salary.
Conversely, a "fade" is a player considered to offer lower value for money, based on their expected score relative to their salary. For budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options highlight the best value players at lower price points not already mentioned.
In fantasy sports, understanding value—assessing a player's potential output against their salary—is crucial, as players scoring high relative to their cost are key in crafting the optimal line-up.
The "Pts/$1K" metric shows the predicted points for every $1,000 of a player's salary. A higher number indicates better value, making it easier to spot players who could outperform their cost.
Positional Breakdown
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | William Contreras (MIL) | $10,780 | 7.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Drake Baldwin (ATL) | $7,670 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Gary Sánchez (MIL) | $8,970 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Keibert Ruiz (WSH) | $5,000 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $13,220 | 9.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Paul Abrams (WSH) | $7,990 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Ronny Mauricio (NYM) | $8,200 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Wilson (ATH) | $7,350 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Juan Soto (NYM) | $13,290 | 9.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $7,880 | 9.4 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Carlos Cortes (ATH) | $9,030 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Michael Harris (ATL) | $6,350 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Maikel Garcia (KC) | $9,130 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $6,530 | 7.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Luis Rengifo (MIL) | $8,820 | 4.5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Arenado (AZ) | $7,820 | 5.8 | 0.7 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $10,610 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ozhaino Albies (ATL) | $7,080 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Nasim Nuñez (WSH) | $8,930 | 4.5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $7,450 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $6,530 | 8.3 | 1.3 |
| Value | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $6,530 | 8.3 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ) | $10,250 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jakob Bauers (MIL) | $5,000 | 3.3 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET) | $23,460 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Brandon Sproat (MIL) | $10,560 | 13.4 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Brandon Sproat. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Matthew Olson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ildemaro Vargas is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Thursday. ENTER NOW!
As with all MLB DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven MLB fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the MLB Thursday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB Thursday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
Please note that if you use our DFS tips for betting purposes, ensure you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
